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The 46-foot juvenile female fin whale beached on Uski Island, as seen from downtown. Pam Foreman photo

            The dead fin whale that floated into Kodiak on Sunday night may have died after being struck by a ship. Kodiak's marine mammal expert, Kate Wynn (win), of the University of Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, said blunt-force trauma was the likely cause, but more study is needed.

             She, a veterinarian from Anchorage, and other scientists performed a necropsy on the whale Monday on Uski Island, right in front of downtown.

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            Kodiak's jobless rate fell slightly between June and July, matching the same trend found around the state.

            Statewide the unemployment rate fell in every region.

            The state's labor department says that traditionally more Alaskans find work in summer months. The state's workforce numbers peaked in July during six of the last 10 years.

            That's no surprise for us here in Kodiak where the increase in fishery activity plays a big role in our employment numbers.

            Locally, July's unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, down from 6.7 in June. In terms of people that means 28 more people were working in July than in June.

            Last year at this time the local jobless rate was just 5.8.

            Generally, July tends to be the month of lowest unemployment throughout the state as fisheries and tourism gives job seekers a big boost.